How to shrink mp4 video file size by 92%? [duplicate]

Question

I want to minimize the size of a .mp4 video file from 300MB to around 25MB. How do I do it?

I tried using HandBrake, but it is not doing as much as I wanted.
Is there any coding procedure to do it in terminal, or any other way?

Audio is typically 1/3 of MP4 file size in most profiles. Do you need to keep the audio track? — K7AAY, Jun 13, 2018 at 20:23
@K7AAY Such reductions are almost always unrealistic, it can be done but quality is invariably horrible... — andrew.46, Jun 19, 2018 at 22:57

K7AAY · Accepted Answer · 2018-06-26 15:22:46Z

There are Linux alternatives to Handbrake, such as FFmpeg, as shown here, and mencoder (illustrated here), and libav-tools, illustrated here.
Handbrake does have a command line interface ('CLI') options, as shown here and here, and here is a primer for GUI use. I suggest converting the larger file to MKV format (it enables use of the very efficient H265 compression for video) and AAC audio to better shrink the file, i.e., with the command line option switches shown below to compress the video to 5 fps and 8 kbps AAC audio, which as low as you can go with HandbrakeCLI:
```
HandBrakeCLI -f --av  -e --x265  -r --5  -R --8  -E --av_aac  -i --PATHNAME_TO_SOURCE_FILE -o --PATHNAME_FOR_RESULT_FILE   
```
You may also find useful help at the Handbrake forum and elsewhere which notes you can get an 1/8 compression just by changing from 1080 to 360. Add that to reducing the audio quality (which represents around 1/3 of multimedia files) and you might get the 1/12 size you seek.

If you like an answer, click on the checkmark above at left to show you accept the answer. Then it's easier to refer other folks with the same issue to it. (The answering dude also gets 10,000 quatloos in gold-pressed latinum, but IRS takes most of it.) — K7AAY, Jun 18, 2018 at 16:29
Could you please review my edits and also review the editing help to improve the readability of your answers in the future... ;-) 1 lantinum coin will be expected in return for the tutorial, edit and upvote! ;-) — Fabby, Jun 20, 2018 at 23:24

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